Community Development
Investing in the Economic Future of Chicago Communities
Supporting community-led efforts to promote economic and community growth through investments in local leaders and catalytic development projects.
Individuals and families succeed when they live in strong, supportive, and vibrant communities. Yet many of Chicago's Black and Brown neighborhoods have experienced decades of systemic disinvestment. Pritzker Traubert Foundation is committed to helping neighborhoods thrive through investments in local leaders and catalytic, community-led development projects.
Our flagship initiative, Chicago Prize, is founded on the belief that community leaders are best positioned to create catalytic change in their communities but often lack access to the resources and other support needed to execute those community plans. Since 2019, the Chicago Prize has invested almost $30 million across multiple South and West Side community areas.
Key Partnership Investments
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The TREND Fund, led by social enterprise Chicago TREND, is the first US commercial real estate investment vehicle aimed at closing the racial wealth gap and strengthening majority-Black neighborhoods. The initial impact investors in the $20 million TREND Fund include Pritzker Traubert Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, the Surdna Foundation, McKnight Foundation, and others.
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The Obama Presidential Center, located in Chicago’s historic Jackson Park, will commemorate the presidency of Barack Obama. In addition to empowering and connecting people from around the country and the world, the Obama Presidential Center will also be a boon to the local economy. Pritzker Traubert Foundation’s capital grant supports the building of the Center in addition to assisting the Obama Youth Jobs Corps.
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The Pullman National Monument is Chicago’s first National Park Service. The monument preserves the place where George Pullman revolutionized rail travel while recognizing immigrants and African American workers’ critical cultural contributions and early social justice organizing. Pritzker Traubert Foundation contributed a lead gift, largely promoting the US Department of Interior and President Obama to designate the factory district as a national monument.
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The Hatchery, located in Chicago’s Garfield Park neighborhood, is a food and beverage business incubator that helps local entrepreneurs build and grow their businesses. Pritzker Traubert Foundation supported the development of Impact Culinary Training Program at The Hatchery, designed to provide job training to 18 to 24-year-olds on Chicago's South and West Sides and access to jobs in the $32 billion food and beverage industry.
The Hatchery
The Obama Presidential Center
Chicago TREND